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Olympia Snowe departure exposes GOP rift

And as he faces a tea party rebellion in Indiana, Sen. Dick Lugar’s allies said Snowe’s departure gives fodder to this argument: Lugar is the only person in the Indiana Republican primary who can ensure that the GOP will hold the seat and put the party on a path to the majority.

“I do think it’s important to win my primary to win the majority,” Lugar said Wednesday.

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The internal GOP struggle comes as Senate staffers and leaders were still grappling with the news of Snowe’s retirement.

Snowe said she came to the decision Tuesday, and informed her staffers at about 4:30 p.m. in a conference room in her Senate office.

“It was emotional,” said one Snowe aide who was in the room. “She was in tears.”

On Wednesday, Snowe told reporters that it was “a tough decision” and that the filing deadline for Senate candidates in Maine — just two weeks away — was a “clarifying” factor.

“I was so focused on my campaign itself since before the last election, frankly, from many different standpoints that I never really sat down to think the overall context of the decision I was making for the reelection,” Snowe added.

Asked whether she is worried about costing her party the majority, Snowe said: “Obviously, I’m concerned about that” and noted that Republicans “have many opportunities to become the majority, as well. I think that’s clear.”

Snowe insisted that she would have won the race had she stayed in.

“I couldn’t have actually asked to be in a better place than where I was in facing a primary and, of course, a general,” she said.

Sen. John Cornyn, National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, called Snowe’s retirement a “bump in the road” and noted that a Republican governor was elected in 2010 in Maine, so it’s “hardly unfriendly territory for us.”

Asked how the party needs to communicate its vision, Cornyn said there has been “a lot of distraction with the [presidential] primary” but “now that that seems to be narrowing, then I think the people need to be reminded why they voted for divided government in 2010.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she was stunned by Snowe’s decision to leave the Senate. Collins and former Sen. Bill Cohen (R-Maine), who served as defense secretary under President Bill Clinton, had even scheduled a fundraiser for Snowe next week.

“I think we’ve done a good job in pointing out the pitfalls and the dangerous direction of the Obama administration wants to lead our country in,” Collins said. “I don’t think we’ve done as well in developing a postive alternative for America to see on where we would lead the country.”

Collins conceded it is difficult for “Congress to do that in a presidential election year. It’s usually the presidential nominee who sets forth the agenda for the party. I think once we have a nominee, that will become a much clearer picture.”

The GOP won't have a nominee for a long long time. By then the President will have solidified all the groups who the carnival barkers running, drove into his camp.

The GOP has not vision because they lied to themselves about the massive failures, of the old GOP idiology. They blamed others and fixed nothing. So all they have is their pathetic desperate SMEAR campaign and propaganda. Which moderates HATE!!!

If that wasn't bad enough. NONE of these loons will swollow their pride or the attention and $$$$ they are leeching off the campaign system, and drop out of the race. Ron Paul is Willards personal lil hack to attack his opponents. Rick thinks God sent him so he won't back out. Newt needs the book sales for he and the wife and Tiffinys.

So ya. Good luck with that whole, once we have a nominee thing.

If Mittens gets it the Teabagger jihadists will probably burn down the convention center and start shooting.

What The Politico mentality cannot understand is that having an Olympia Snowe as a Republican member of the Senate doesn't contribute to the "Republican majority", in actual voting-practice. I understand that different regions of the country have different political make-ups, and people in Maine, for instance, aren't the same as people in Oklahoma . . . . but if that difference ends up in electing representatives who are really more like Democrats than Republicans, then let's call them Democrats.

Olympia Snowe had done a great job representing the interests of her state for many years. She was loyal to her party back in the day, and it is a sign of how far (to the right) the reps have moved that she now says she can't stomach it anymore. I'd like to know what has driven so many reps to no longer run for office, as well as Democrats: is it really just the toxic atmosphere and the inability to get anything done? Maybe. It was the reason I quit my last job. But the congress isn't just any corporation--a broken down government should scare the stuff out of everyone.

There must be a third party germinating out there because the hijacked republican party, which has no constructive plan for good government, no longer represents any sane, intelligent person. A lot of traditional republicans know are desperately looking for a political home. They aren't even showing up for the primaries because they can't stand Romney and the rest are bonkers, and tell me they will stay home in the fall.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why Olympia Snowe is considered a "moderate." She has voted straight party-line since Bush took office, including the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind and other heinous legislation. She may talk the moderate talk; but she sure doesn't walk the moderate walk. Good riddance to her, sez I.

Olympia Snowe knows full well that her GOP colleagues' denial of global warming science and all out war on the environment are nothing short of sick. The Republican Party she belonged to, the New England moderate wing, has not existed for a long time now. Im glad she isnt running. She should have had the integrity to acknowledge what a monstrosity her party has become.

“I think the problem we have as a party is when we are so afraid of losing elections that we’re afraid to do the right thing. That’s what hurts us as Republicans. I think it’s the principles that people relate to." That's what DeMint says.

I think he's right about Republican fear of losing elections, but he is dead wrong in thinking loyalty to his demented principles is what can save Republican seats. The biggest problem Republicans have as a party is they are too ideologically rigid -- too loyal to wrongheaded principles that are't worth embracing. For example, the idiotic Republican nonnegotiable stand against raising new revenues means (for anyone who can add and subtract) Republicans can't possible balance budgets, reduce deficits and pay down our national debt. Tax cuts don't pay for themselves. The rich don't generate most jobs. Giving corporations and our richest citizens huge tax cuts breeds laziness, a sense of entitlement, and lower productivity, not a job boon. The list of principles Republicans need to give up in order to win lasting majorities is a long one. DeMint's advice of doubling down on bad principles will lead to more Republican failure, not success.

Should it not be a positive thing that the Republicans DO disagree on some policy decisions? All policies have positive and negative results. There always should be constructive discussion and at times disagreements. If that does not happen we should question those representing us.

There must be a third party germinating out there because the hijacked republican party, which has no constructive plan for good government, no longer represents any sane, intelligent person. A lot of traditional republicans know are desperately looking for a political home. They aren't even showing up for the primaries because they can't stand Romney and the rest are bonkers, and tell me they will stay home in the fall.

I'm with you - well, I was never a traditional republican, but I would vote GOP at times, and I would really like a choice when I vote, but the choice now is between insanity or vote democratic.

The GOP doesn't even pretend to care about people who aren't rich, and uses warped religion to dupe people into voting for them.

I think Karl Rove played a large part in bringing down the GOP to the lowest common denominator..

There must be a third party germinating out there because the hijacked republican party, which has no constructive plan for good government, no longer represents any sane, intelligent person. A lot of traditional republicans know are desperately looking for a political home. They aren't even showing up for the primaries because they can't stand Romney and the rest are bonkers, and tell me they will stay home in the fall.

I'm with you - well, I was never a traditional republican, but I would vote GOP at times, and I would really like a choice when I vote, but the choice now is between insanity or vote democratic.

The GOP doesn't even pretend to care about people who aren't rich, and uses warped religion to dupe people into voting for them.

I think Karl Rove played a large part in bringing down the GOP to the lowest common denominator..

She got played by Obama over Obamacare. If it weren't for her, we would have no Obamacare. She voted in her direction thinking Obama would moderate. That is the only reason Olympia Snow is considered a moderate. She thought Healthcare needed to be debated. Little did she know that Obama just needed her to get past a hurdle. He had no intention of debating healthcare. Obama just played her, just like the Catholic Church to get their support.

Snowe complained that toxic partisan battles have made the Senate unworkable, and she acknowledged Wednesday that the GOP’s task of winning the majority may be more challenging because of her retirement

There must be a third party germinating out there because the hijacked republican party, which has no constructive plan for good government, no longer represents any sane, intelligent person. A lot of traditional republicans know are desperately looking for a political home. They aren't even showing up for the primaries because they can't stand Romney and the rest are bonkers, and tell me they will stay home in the fall.

I'm with you - well, I was never a traditional republican, but I would vote GOP at times, and I would really like a choice when I vote, but the choice now is between insanity or vote democratic.

The GOP doesn't even pretend to care about people who aren't rich, and uses warped religion to dupe people into voting for them.

I think Karl Rove played a large part in bringing down the GOP to the lowest common denominator..